BHA charge six over ‘inside info’

Registered owner Clement, James Clutterbuck, the son of Newmarket trainer Ken Clutterbuck, and three unlicensed individuals – Paul Hill, Martin Raymond and Michael Turl – have also been charged.

Ahern’s charges relate to five races held from September 2009 to February 2011. The jockey, who is likely to be warned off if he is found guilty, is accused of breaching three rules. The hearing is scheduled to take place between 29 April and 3 May, 2013.

Ahern must answer corruption charges for allegedly stopping Judgethemoment from running on his merits when he finished last of seven runners at Lingfield on 21 January, 2011.

The BHA must also consider whether the jockey passed on “inside information” linked to four other races at Chester (Sisindu), Wolverhampton (Downhill Skier) and twice at Kempton (Love You Louis and French Art).

Clement, who retired from football in 2010 due to a knee injury, faces charges linked to the same races in which Ahern was riding. He is also charged with placing a lay bet on Hindu Kush, whom he used to own, when the horse finished last at Kempton on 2 February, 2011.

Clutterbuck – who is also  assistant trainer for his father – Hill, Turl and Raymond must  appear before a disciplinary panel regarding a race at Lingfield on 9 March, 2011. James Clutterbuck is accused of passing on “inside information” to Hill, Turl, Clement and Raymond, when Stoneacre Gareth, trained by his father Ken Clutterbuck, finished fourth.

Ken Clutterbuck said the BHA’s decision to charge his son over the Stoneacre Gareth race, in which he was sent off the 11-4 favourite, was “totally ridiculous”. He added: “I backed the horse to win at Lingfield and James backed it to win.

“The horse had gone up a lot in the handicap and it was his third run in about 10 days. Adam [Kirby] rode the horse perfectly well. James hasn’t got the money to fight the BHA. He has been sorting out getting his licence for the last couple of months as he was going to take over from me in February but, obviously, they put that on hold until this came out.

“We’ll have to see what  happens in May but it’s totally ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, the Jockey Club has announced its racecourse arm will offer more than £40million in prize-money in 2013 – an increase of more than £5m on this year.

The group are scheduled to stage 361 fixtures next year and, of the £40m in prize-money, a record £18.6m will be contributed directly from Jockey Club Racecourses.

The Jockey Club is responsible for a total of 15 British racecourses including Aintree,  Cheltenham, Epsom and both the Rowley Mile and the July Course at Newmarket.

Selections

Exeter

12.20 Silver Commander

12.50 Landscape (nap)

1.20 Domtaline (NB)

1.50 Hey Big Spender

2.20 Glen Countess

2.50 Swincombe Flame

3.20 Ballinahow Star

3.50 Storm Alert

Lingfield

12.30 Go Far

1.00 Gabrial The Boss

1.30 Zaminate

2.00 Ertikaan

2.30 Llamadas

3.00 Molly Jones

3.30 Tartan Jura

Towcester

12.40 Euro Trash

1.10 Thorncliffer

1.40 Two Rockers

2.10 Round The Horn

2.40 Ukrainian Star

3.10 All For Cash

3.40 Agent Fedora

Kempton

4.00 Mr Knightley

4.30 Captain Starlight

5.00 Silly Billy

5.30 Ermyn Flyer

6.00 Guest Of Honour

6.30 Honour

7.00 Polar Venture

7.30 Fantasy Fighter

Double

Landscape

12.50 Exeter

Domtaline

1:20 Exeter